cancer
- Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionEstrogen Attenuates the Growth of Human Papillomavirus-Positive Epithelial Cells
Human papillomaviruses cause around 5% of all human cancers, yet there are no specific antiviral therapeutic approaches available for combatting these cancers. These cancers are currently treated with standard chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Specific antiviral reagents are desperately required, particularly for HPV+HNSCC whose incidence is increasing and for which there are no diagnostic tools available for combatting this disease. Using...
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Common Live-Attenuated Avian Herpesvirus Vaccine Expresses a Very Potent Oncogene
Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is one of several oncogenic herpesviruses and causes fatal lymphomas in chickens. The current “gold standard” vaccine is the live-attenuated MDV strain CVI988/Rispens (CVI), which is widely used and efficiently prevents tumor formation. Intriguingly, CVI expresses two predominant isoforms of the major MDV oncogene meq: one variant with a regular size of meq (Smeq) and one long...
- Resource Report | Host-Microbe BiologyFusobacterium Genomics Using MinION and Illumina Sequencing Enables Genome Completion and Correction
Fusobacterium spp. are Gram-negative, oral bacteria that are increasingly associated with human pathologies as diverse as periodontitis, preterm birth, and colorectal cancer. While a recent surge in F. nucleatum research has increased our understanding of this human pathogen, a lack of complete genomes has hindered the identification and characterization of...
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification of Head and Neck Cancer Subtypes Based on Human Papillomavirus Presence and E2F-Regulated Gene Expression
Cancer is a complex disease that can be caused by a multitude of factors. HNSCC is complicated because some of these cancers are clearly associated with HPV, while others have no viral involvement. Determining the pathways that are commonly altered in both types of HNSCC, as well as those that are unique to viral and nonviral tumors, is important for a basic understanding of how these cancers arise and progress and critical to the...
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHuman Cytomegalovirus-Infected Glioblastoma Cells Display Stem Cell-Like Phenotypes
A role for HCMV in GBMs remains controversial for several reasons. Some studies find HCMV in GBM tumors, while others do not. Few cells within a GBM may harbor HCMV, making it unclear how the virus could be contributing to the tumor phenotype without infecting every cell. Finally, HCMV does not overtly transform cells in vitro. However, tumors induced by other viruses can be treated with antiviral remedies, and initial results...